PILOT Custom 74 Fountain Pen, Blue Barrel, Medium Nib (60696)

Great balance, lightweight, smooth and consistent. It has classic styling with vibrant colour choices to add flair! An excellent starter pen with a gold nib, or as a reliable daily-carry to add to your collection.

I bought a the Custom 74 because so many other people seemed to love it, and there was a reason for that. This little gold nib is fantastic [mine is <F>], soft, smooth and even lovely to LOOK at.The pen itself can be used posted ... or not. I'm used to post my pens, but in this case I can go either way -- it feels well balanced both times, but that's a personal preference.This is a pen that's ready to go all the time and could easily become a «go to pen». Well worth its price.

There's ink inside it so clearly used but not advertised that way

I use this pen for note taking at work. It’s the first Japanese nib I’ve used. I find that it works great with the cheaper paper I’m forced to use.

There is so much I love about my **blue** Custom Pilot 74. I bought it and a Twsbi 580ALR at the same time. I also have a Montblanc Meisterstuck 146, and Kaweco Brass Sport to compare it too.The Custom 74 looks beautiful and writes more smoothly in comparison to the Twsbi and Kaweco but about the same as the MB. The Custom74 is a little thinner and more comfortable in my hand than the MB though. Additionally, the Custom 74 is a fountain pen I’m more comfortable carrying around the office. The MB would be hugely expensive to replace if I lost it compared to my other pens so it will remain a stay-at-home pen. Plus, the Custom74 looks so much snazzier.Filling the Custom74 is easy peasy once you understand how. I watched a Goulet Pen video that provided a few tips.Which brings me to my only complaint. I’m writing with my Custom74 about as much as my Twsbi and am filling my Custom74 more frequently. The Twsbi has a noticeably bigger ink capacity.Would I buy the Custom74 again? Hmmmm, not sure. I don’t regret having the Custom74. She’s a beauty! However, she’s not a dramatic step up from the Twsbi either. Knowing what I know now, I’d lean towards not getting the Custom74 and maybe getting 1-2 additional Twsbi’s instead, filling each with different inks.